Acer Predator Triton 300 SE review: A special edition that feels ordinary

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE review: A special edition that feels ordinary

Intel heralded the arrival of the "ultraportable gaming laptop" at CES 2021, rolling out a trio of low-power 11th-gen H series processors intended for systems prioritizing portability and battery life above raw performance, promising workday-long battery life and thin, businesslike designs. 

The $1,400 Acer Predator Triton 300 SE uses the Intel Core i7-11375H, a "special edition" -- "SE," get it? -- of its 35-watt i7-11370H sibling. It supports Intel Turbo Boost 3.0, which potentially allows the CPU to attain a peak single-core frequency of 5GHz compared to 4.8GHz for the not-so-special part. That's all great on paper, but ultimately, while it's a solid Triton gaming laptop with nicer looks than the rest of its family, you don't gain any noticeable advantages from the special CPU.

While it definitely has a sleeker, more businesslike design than the more powerful models, it's not nearly as bizzy as, say, the 13-inch Asus ROG Flow X13 two-in-one or Razer Blade Stealth 13. It's not nearly as "ultraportable" either -- while the performance of the smaller models lags the Triton, they will more than likely also get upgraded to 11th-gen CPUs and the new GeForce RTX 3050 that was just announced, so it's just a matter of time. 

Like

• Relatively light
• Can open 180 degrees
• Some nice design touches

Don't Like

• Doesn't use Nvidia Advanced Optimus
• Single-channel memory
• Can't change performance modes unless there's at least 40% battery and it's plugged in

The Predator Triton line sits in the enthusiast middle of Acer's gaming laptops, between the entry-level Nitro series and the more aggressively game-focused Helios models. So it makes sense that the Triton line would be Acer's choice for the quad-core, low-power CPU.

Acer's offering only a single model of the $1,400 Triton 300 SE (approximately £1,290 or AU$2,340 if you convert from euros). It comes with 16GB RAM (upgradeable to 24GB), a GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q graphics processor, a 512GB SSD and a 144Hz 14-inch 1080p display with a 100% Adobe RGB color gamut. It includes many of the 11th-gen perks, including a USB-C and Thunderbolt 4 connector and Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics. There's also a full-size HDMI 2.1 connection. But it's missing some features as well, such as Wi-Fi 6E. 

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Price as reviewed	$1,400, £1,290 (approx.)
Display size/resolution	14-inch 1,920x1,080 pixels, 144Hz 100% Adobe RGB
PC CPU	Intel Core i7-11375H
PC Memory	16GB 3,200MHz DDR4
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q, Intel Iris Xe (96 execution units)
Storage	512GB SSD
Ports	1x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, audio combo jack
Networking	Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.1
Operating system	Microsoft Windows Home (2H20)
Weight	3.8lbs (1.7kg)

The configuration is pretty much the only one it could offer. Strip it down more and it makes less sense, bump it up and it probably wouldn't fit into the power or thermal requirements of the design. To me, the SE model seems like a trial balloon to see if there's a market for a laptop built around the i7-11375H and other low-core-count 35w CPUs.

The newest non-SE Triton 300 models slated to ship in July don't have the SE's pretty silver finish. They have the same 15-inch black chassis as the models from earlier this year, with much better gaming specs that include up to the new eight-core 11th-gen i7 CPUs, GeForce RTX 3070 and 32GB RAM, with 360Hz 1080p or 165Hz QHD displays. Those start at $1,699. There's also a new 17-inch model coming in July.

Thin, yes, but not ultrathin.

Lori Grunin/CNET

Though it doesn't look much like a Razer at first glance, the Triton 300 SE has the same thick, uniform, slab-like shape of one, albeit with far more detailing, such as extensive vents and surface colors and textures. Those include a brushed silver lid and accents that switch between blue and red depending upon the viewing angle and lighting. 

I like the way the bottom screen bezel turns the reflection of the keyboard backlight into an abstract rainbow. The screen can tilt back flat; even if you never plan to use it at such an oblique angle, it still means it can tilt back far enough to accommodate most situations, such as (ahem) lying in bed with the laptop perched against your bent knees.

The Triton has a decent set of connections for a 14-inch laptop: a full-size HDMI, two USB-A, one USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 and a combo audio jack.

Lori Grunin/CNET

The keyboard is decent for both typing and gaming, with good travel and a mechanical-sounding click. There are dedicated Turbo and PredatorSense buttons, with media keys down the right side, and a touchpad disable function key for gaming. It lacks per-key RGB lighting, but has three zones to configure and the backlight shines brightly through the keycaps.

Nothing about the 720p webcam stands out -- it's the usual ho-hum camera you find on so many midrange laptops -- and it lacks an IR camera for use with Windows Hello login. There is a fingerprint reader on the smallish touchpad, though.

It's hard to capture the laptop's attractive shade of warm silver and textured finish. One of the notable touches is the highlight color on the hinge, which switches between blue and red depending upon the angle.

Lori Grunin/CNET

Does the low-power CPU matter?

The laptop has four performance modes: quiet, default, extreme and turbo. Turbo cranks it up to the most power, overclocking both the CPU and GPU and spinning the fans up to a jet engine. But it doesn't seem to push performance significantly beyond the standard mode, which automatically adjusts (within a cap) clock frequencies and power consumption. 

Generally, the laptop's performance is solid. Given the positioning of the CPU, you'd expect it to be all about battery life, but at 7 to 8 hours on default balanced settings, it's hardly outstanding. You can extend it to 9 or 10 hours by dialing back the settings to maximize battery life, and it can certainly handle a full workday, but that's not atypical for mainstream gaming laptops anymore. 

The CPU has only four cores compared with eight in the 11th-gen H series i7 and even the six-core i5 -- Intel had to drop some cores to fit the chip into a smaller space. There's always some tradeoff for laptop shrinkage. The Turbo Boost-enabled 5GHz single-core speed isn't much of a selling point either. I couldn't get a single core to hit more than 4.3GHz. I think the system's performance is hampered by limitations like the single-channel memory. It's just not worth sacrificing the cores from a six-core, 35-watt part like a Core i5.

It's decent for unplugged gaming, another selling point, provided it's not something that needs to push the system to the max for good frame rates. For instance, Hades repeatedly slaughtered me at more than 100 frames per second (and frequently more than 140fps) both on and off battery, and without draining it too quickly. You'll generally be able to get better than 60fps in 1080p on GPU-intensive games out of the RTX 3060.

The Triton's hinge allows it to open 180 degrees, a rarity among gaming laptops.

Lori Grunin/CNET

Unfortunately, the system doesn't use Nvidia's Advanced Optimus, which lets you force a switch between the discrete GPU and integrated CPU for the display. You can use Windows' graphics settings to assign specific applications to use the discrete GPU, but there's no wholesale way to force it.

Another drawback is you can't change modes while on battery or if the battery level is less than 40%. Not being able to drop down to quiet after sitting down in a meeting, for example, is especially annoying, though you can go into the custom settings and set the fans to slower speeds. And it might be a bug, but the laptop ignored Windows' setting for "do nothing" on closing the lid, which may be an issue for some people.

I have no serious complaints about the Predator Triton 300 SE. It's a good, well-designed intermediate-size laptop for the money to balance your working and gaming lives. But much of what Acer did here could be applied to the standard Triton 300 models; despite the new CPU, the SE just isn't as special as it seems.

Geekbench 5 (multicore)

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Dell G5 15 Special Edition (2020)

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Cinebench R20 CPU (multicore)

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Dell G5 15 Special Edition (2020)

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Cinebench R20 CPU (single core)

Dell G5 15 Special Edition (2020)

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Streaming video playback battery drain test (minutes)

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Far Cry 5 (1080p)

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Asus ROG Flow X13 with XG Mobile

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Note:

NOTE: Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider gaming test (1080p)

Dell G5 15 Special Edition (2020)

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Asus ROG Flow X13 with XG Mobile

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance (FPS)

3DMark Time Spy

Dell G5 15 Special Edition (2020)

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Asus ROG Flow X13 with XG Mobile

Note:

NOTE: Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Fire Strike Ultra

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Dell G5 15 Special Edition (2020)

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Asus ROG Flow X13 with XG Mobile

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Port Royal (RTX)

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE

Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)

Asus ROG Flow X13 with XG Mobile

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Configurations

Acer Predator Triton 300 SE	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (2H20); 3.3GHz Intel Core i7-11375H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200MHz; 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Max-Q; 512GB SSD
Asus ROG Flow X13 with XG Mobile	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (2004); 3.3GHz AMD Ryzen 9 5900HS; 6GB DDR4 SDRAM 4,266MHz; 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 (16GB GeForce RTX 3080 mobile in XG Mobile)
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA401IV)	Microsoft WIndows 10 Home (1909); 3.0GHz AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200MHz, 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 with Max-Q Design, 1TB SSD
Dell G5 15 Special Edition (2020)	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (1909); 1.6GHz AMD Ryzen 7 4800H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200MHz; 6GB AMD Radeon RX 5600M; 512GB SSD
Razer Blade 15 Advanced (early 2021)	Microsoft Windows 10 Home (2009); 2.3GHz Intel Core i7-10875H; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 3,200MHz; 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Max-Q; 1TB SSD

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Acer iconia w500 review acer iconia w500 acer iconia w700 acer iconia w700 drivers acer iconia w700 windows 10 acer iconia w700 keyboard acer iconia w700 specs acer iconia w700 ram upgrade acer iconia w700 case acer iconia acer iconia one 7 acer iconia tablet acer iconia tab 10 acer iconia one 8 acer iconia one 7 tablet acer iconia tab w500 acer iconia a500 acer iconia 6120

Acer Iconia W700 review: Laptop power in a tablet package

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Acer Iconia W700 review: Laptop power in a tablet package

Few systems have had as polarizing an effect in the CNET offices as the Acer Iconia W700. Some felt this full Windows 8 touch-screen tablet and keyboard combo looked ridiculous, or was unwieldy for everyday use. Others liked that it has an Intel Core i5 processor and a full 1,920x1,080-pixel display for a not-inexpensive, but still reasonable, $999.

The truth is somewhere between these two poles. At first glance, the W700 looks a mess, but at the same time, it's hard not to like. For me, the aesthetics of the tablet and its unique side-sliding stand offer a hint of retro-futurism, and I likened it to a leftover "Space: 1999" prop. But, I mean that as a compliment -- too many laptops, tablets, and accessories follow the same overused design cues.

Using a touch-screen slate with an Intel Core i5 CPU makes a world of difference over models that attempt to get away with a low-power Intel Atom processor, and over the not fully baked Windows RT as well. For the most part, this is a combo creation/consumption machine, capable of doing nearly anything a traditional laptop or desktop can.

Sarah Tew/CNET

There are a few caveats, however. You'll want an external mouse or touch pad -- the W700 includes a wireless keyboard but no external pointing device, and man does not live by touch screen alone. Also, the 1080p resolution is overkill for an 11.6-inch display. In the Windows 8 UI view, everything scales fine, but going back to the desktop view is hard on the eyes.

The Acer Iconia W700 is one of only a handful of Core i5-or-better slates we've seen with Windows 8, and when docked, it feels like a mini all-in-one desktop, although the small screen size means it's a stretch to call this your main productivity machine. An add-on mouse or touch pad is practically required for serious use, especially as Windows 8 is, hype aside, still not a fully satisfying tablet-only experience.

Windows 8Ultraportable / Hybrid

Price as reviewed	$999
Processor	1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U
Memory	4GB, 1,600MHz DDR3
Hard drive	128GB
Chipset	Intel HM77
Graphics	Intel HD4000
Operating System
Dimensions (WD)	11.6 x 7.5 inches
Height	0.47 inches
Screen size (diagonal)	11.6 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter	2.1/2.7 pounds (screen/adapter only)
Category

Design, features, and display
People have an immediate reaction when seeing the Acer Iconia W700 for the first time. I will admit that I liked it -- it was different than the cookie-cutter Windows 8 hybrids I had seen so far, and the look was bold. But some of my colleagues have been less impressed, and they're not entirely wrong.

The W700's main unit is a thick, fairly heavy slab-style tablet. By itself, it's innocuous enough, if chunky for anyone that's used to an iPad. The docking stand might best be described as a bracket. It's L-shaped and covers most of the bottom and right-side edges of the system. The tablet slides into the bracket dock from the right side, connecting via USB 3.0 and AC power plugs on the left edge of the tablet.

The dock itself has three USB 3.0 ports and a power pass-through, but note that the tablet's single USB port is both used and covered by the dock. If you have anything plugged into the tablet, you'll have to remove it and plug it into the dock instead.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The tablet slides into the dock securely, but removing it is a two-handed -- and slightly awkward -- procedure. The dock's angle is not adjustable, which is a negative, as it's not at quite the right angle for close-up use -- and as this is a small 11.6-inch screen, I suspect you'll be up close more often than not.

There is, however, a second option for setting up the docking stand, which is to remove the kickstand portion, rotate the entire setup 90 degrees counterclockwise, and reinsert the kickstand into a second slot. This allows you to set the system up in portrait mode. Again, there's only one screen angle, and frankly, Windows 8, for all its tablet/touch skills, is really set up for landscape mode over portrait.

The included keyboard looks and feels a lot like Apple's wireless keyboard, from the white key faces against silver to the rounded top edge. It connects via Bluetooth, so it'll work with the tablet whether it's plugged into the docking stand or not. The keys are slightly deeper than Apple's similar wireless keyboard, but also a bit clackier. Nonetheless, it's overall a perfectly good keyboard experience.

Sarah Tew/CNET

One thing you don't get with the W700 is any kind of pointer interaction hardware. There's no bundled mouse, and no touch pad built into the tablet, dock, or keyboard. For full-on tablet use, that may be fine, but to set this up as a mini desktop computer, you'll probably want a wireless mouse. I went with a slightly different setup, plugging in an external touch pad from Logitech, which worked especially well with Windows 8 gestures.

The display is both a highlight and a bit of a head-scratcher. The 11.6-inch display has a native resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels, which is impressive and makes this feel like a very high-end machine. At the same time, it's simply too high a resolution when in the traditional desktop mode. Text and images are tiny and finger-based navigation is more difficult than usual. The Windows 8 UI screen (the tile-based setup formerly known as Metro) scales according to its resolution automatically, so there's no issue there.

Sound was predictably thin, even more so than on most laptops. There are no external speakers built into the dock, but it does have channels cut into it that line up with the two speaker grilles, which are on the bottom edge of the tablet.

	Acer Iconia W700	Average for category [ultraportable]
Video	Mini-HDMI	HDMI or DisplayPort
Audio	Stereo speakers, headphone jack	Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	1 USB 3.0 (on board), 3 USB 3.0 (on dock)	2 USB 3.0, SD card reader
Networking	802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	Ethernet (via dongle), 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
Optical drive	None	None

Connections, performance, and battery life
There's a bit of juggling that goes on with the W700's ports. A single USB 3.0 port on the tablet itself is useful, but that port gets eaten up by the docking stand when connected, which means you'll have to unplug any accessories and reconnect them to the dock. On the plus side, the dock has three USB 3.0 ports. A Mini-HDMI port on the tablet is accessible even when the system is docked, but there's no SD card slot, which may be a deal breaker for some.

Despite its slate-based design, the internal components of the W700 are virtually indistinguishable from your average Windows 8 ultrabook. There's a very common 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U CPU, a 128GB SSD, and 4GB of RAM. That's not a great setup for $999, but the unique design may make up for that.

In our benchmark tests, the Iconia W700 performed similarly to other Core i5-3317U Windows 8 laptops and convertibles, or a little behind. It's well-suited for everyday use, from HD video streaming to social media, to working on office tasks. You're much more likely to run into hurdles dealing with the slightly wonky nature of Windows 8 on a tablet than you are with any sort of processor limitations.

The internal graphics are limited to Intel's basic HD 4000 GPU, which is to expected in something so small and portable. Gaming is always touch-and-go on HD 4000 systems -- some newer games work well, others do not. To test the W700's abilities as a portable game machine, I connected a Microsoft game pad via USB and launched Skyrim. Knocking down the resolution to 1,600x900 pixels and turning detail levels down to low, the game was playable, if a bit choppy.

Checking the Windows 8 app store, only a handful of non-shovelware games were available, none of which looked to be particularly taxing. I flipped through a few that felt very iPad-like, including Jetpack Joyride and Dredd vs. Zombies (a top-down shooter), and found that the W700 can easily handle tablet-style games.

One of the biggest surprises about the W700 is its battery life. On our video playback battery drain test, the system ran for a very impressive 7 hours and 19 minutes. That's especially impressive, considering the high-res screen, and the relatively small amount of internal space that needs to hold the display, components, and battery.

Acer includes a one-year parts-and-labor limited warranty. While navigating Acer's online service and support sections has been a hit-or-miss experience over the years, the product page for this configuration benefits from a clean layout that points directly to support links. The support phone number, not as clearly labeled, is 866-695-2237.

Conclusion
There have been no shortage of opinions about the Acer Iconia W700 around the CNET office. Some disliked its retro-looking docking stand, and are dubious about the efficacy of a standalone Windows 8 slate. I took a warmer view, appreciating the unconventional design of the tablet-stand-keyboard setup, and crediting the W700 with excellent battery life and decent performance. The hardware passes the test; whether Windows 8 does likewise as a tablet-based operating system is another question altogether.

Find out more about how we test laptops.

System configurations

Acer Iconia W700
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 128MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Toshiba SSD

Dell XPS 12
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.9GHz Intel Core i7-3517U; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,333MHz; 32MB (Shared) Intel HD 4000; 256GB LITEONIT SSD

Sony Vaio Duo 11
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 6GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Toshiba SSD

Toshiba Satellite U925t
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 128GB Samsung SSD

Lenovo ThinkPad Twist
Windows 8 (64-bit); 1.7GHz Intel Core i5-3317U; 4GB DDR3 SDRAM 1,600MHz; 32MB (Dedicated) Intel HD 4000; 500GB Hitachi 7,200rpm

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Dell xps 13 plus review this slim premium laptop computers dell xps 13 plus review this slim premium laptop cases dell xps 13 plus review this thing dell xps 13 plus reviews dell xps 13 9370 dell xps 13 price dell xps 8940

Dell XPS 13 Plus Review: This Slim Premium Laptop Isn't Afraid to Shake Things Up

Dell XPS 13 Plus Review: This Slim Premium Laptop Isn't Afraid to Shake Things Up

When you open up the XPS 13 Plus, three things will immediately strike you as... unusual. Those design choices make the XPS 13 Plus stand out so much visually, but they also make for an unconventional experience. Not necessarily a bad one, but certainly one that fights years of laptop design muscle memory. 

First is the touchpad, which sits, disguised, along the edge-to-edge palm rest. It's there, but you can't actually see it. The touch-sensitive part of that front area is indistinguishable from the part you just rest your hands on. 

Apple laptops still have a distinct panel for touch, some laptops from Dell's own Alienware line have touchpads that literally glow in different colors, but here it's guesswork. In practice, however, I found the touch-sensitive area relatively easy to use. It runs from the left edge of the spacebar on one side to the right edge of the Alt key on the other. Sure, it would be cool to have the touchpad run the entire length of the body, but that would be a nightmare for palm rejection AI and probably not as useful as you'd think.

Like

• Inventive new design
• Very slim and light
• Excellent performance
• Great OLED display
• Included USB-C dongles

Don't Like

• You might not love the new touchpad, keyboard and function keys
• Underwhelming battery life
• Heat and fan noise
• Low-resolution webcam
• No headphone port

But the larger point remains -- people are used to how touchpads work and what they look like, so you mess with that shared experience at your own peril. In this case, the touchpad's overall feel is good for a Windows laptop, but it could also feel either too sensitive or not sensitive enough, depending on what I was doing. The best word for an overall vibe would be "floaty," and it suffers in comparison by landing on my desk immediately after the latest MacBook Air, which is the platonic ideal of touchpad feel and functionality. 

Dell makes a big deal of the haptics of the touchpad. It feels like you can click it down, but it's not actually depressing. MacBook touchpads have worked the same way for years. Personally, I'm a tapper, not a clicker, so it didn't make a huge difference to me. 

The invisible touchpad. 

Dan Ackerman/CNET

Next is the keyboard, which ditches the standard island-style keys -- flat with a modest space between each one -- for an edge-to-edge design, where each key brushes up against its neighbor. It's a style that popped up occasionally in the 2010s, but one I haven't seen in a while. It lets you offer a larger top surface for each key and in some cases, helps make a laptop thinner. I got used to it quickly but, again, my muscle memory fought it. It also lacks the satisfying snap of a good island-style keyboard. 

The last big change is to the Function key row. It reminds me of the now-deprecated Apple Touch Bar, as it's a backlit row of touch-sensitive icons. The media and system commands are lit by default -- brightness, volume, keyboard backlight and so on. Hold the Fn key and you see the typical F1 to F12 keys. You can swap the behavior the other way if you prefer. 

Why do this? Again, I believe it's to shave some thickness from the system and allow for its hinge mechanism. I'm not against the idea in principle, but the MacBook Pro's rough go of it shows that people aren't itching to swap physical buttons for virtual ones. And this isn't a full-color user-assignable OLED screen strip like Apple's version, either. But in the end, the only thing I think you'll miss is having a physical Esc key, which can be important in your day to day use. I liked how clear the icons were and how they were boldly backlit. 

Function keys are replaced by a touch strip. 

Dan Ackerman/CNET

Configuration and performance

Once you put aside those three breaks with laptop design orthodoxy, the rest of the XPS 13 Plus is a conventional and mostly excellent premium 13-inch laptop experience. The XPS 13 line has always been one of my favorite Windows laptops, and this looks and feels like a high-end machine that will be a conversation piece whenever you whip it out. 

The XPS 13 Plus starts at $1,299 and the model I tested is currently $1,949. It includes an upgraded CPU, RAM and display. I liked that there are four 13.4-inch screen options, both OLED and LCD, ranging from a 1,920x1,080 non-touch screen to a 3,840x2,400 touchscreen.

Inside, the version here has a 12th-gen Intel Core i7-1280P, and all the engineering to squeeze it into this 15mm-thick body is impressive. That said, the fans spin up audibly, sometimes sounding like a little white noise machine in the background, and even then, the system got very warm, especially on the bottom panel. 

Dan Ackerman/CNET

Performance with that 12th-gen Core i7 is a highlight, and it's nice to have this much raw horsepower in a high-design, executive-class laptop. I've compared it to Apple's latest mainstream and Pro laptops, as well as comparable Windows systems. It's part of Intel's Evo program, which is a designation for premium slim laptop designs with good performance. If you go with the least expensive configuration, you get a Core i5 from the same generation. 

In the preloaded My Dell app, you can switch between performance presets (navigate from My Dell > Power > Thermal). The Performance mode was indeed faster, but also cranked the fans up even more, created a lot of heat, and certainly didn't help the already limp battery life. 

Display and webcam 

The display is also a highlight. I tested the 3,456x2,160-pixel touchscreen version, which is an impressive-looking OLED panel. Dell calls this 3.5K and you can also get a true 4K version, but that's no OLED panel. Either one is a $300 upgrade from the base non-touch Full HD 1,920x1,080-pixel model. There's also a FHD touch panel for $100 more, and if you're looking to cut costs, it's probably where I'd go. On a relatively small laptop, you can get away with FHD resolution, but adding touch is going to be valuable. 

I'm less pleased with the 720p webcam. Premium laptops have made a major switch to FHD cameras in the past couple of years, even dragging long-time holdout Apple in with the latest MacBook Air Dell says the lower-res camera here benefits from image processing help on the software side, but I found it to be merely ok. Jumping into a Zoom meeting in low light, I had a distinct orange hue. Adding a higher-resolution camera would likely mean a thicker lid, so I get that there's a size-versus-functionality tradeoff. 

A great webcam, this is not. 

Dan Ackerman/CNET

The camera is also used for Dell's presence-detection features, which I find interesting. It can wake from sleep mode when the camera detects your face, or it can lock itself when you walk away. But the feature I liked most was called Look Away Detect, which will dim the screen if it sees you looking away. That's good for both battery life and privacy, and worked so well that I think more laptops should have a feature like that. 

It has just two Thunderbolt USB-C ports, which is frankly fine for most people these days, and it matches the most recent 13-inch MacBook Pro. But, Dell kills the headphone jack, which might be rarely used, but is a notable exclusion nonetheless. A USB-C-to-audio dongle is included in the box, as is a USB-C-to-USB-A one. That's a nice bonus, and one that some companies (ahem, Apple...) would probably make you pay extra for. The downside is, if you keep it plugged into power and use the headphone adaptor at the same time, you're out of ports. 

Battery life and roadworthiness 

Despite focusing on some of the unusual design choices and limitations, there's a lot I love about the XPS 13 Plus. I love a sharp, original design and am willing to trade a little familiarity to push the edges a bit. This level of performance in a slim, light laptop like this is enviable (as long as we're sticking on the non-dedicated GPU side of things), and the hidden performance modes offer more flexibility than I'm used to seeing in similar laptops. 

But there's one more wrinkle in the formula. Battery life. In benchmark testing, the XPS 13 Plus ran on the short side, at about 4 hours while streaming online video, which is far from the most strenuous thing you might ask it to do. In hands-on use, it felt a little better depending on what I was doing, but it also dropped from almost 70% to under 30% in less than 2 hours while I was writing this review. 

Ports are limited, but dongles are included. 

Dan Ackerman/CNET

Use the optimized performance preset, turn down the screen brightness, close unused apps and you can likely push the battery life to a better place. But I don't feel confident that I could pick up this laptop in the morning and work on it all day without charging. It helps that there's an express charging preset for powering up part of the battery quickly. 

The nearly 4K screen doesn't do the battery any favors, although the fact that it's an OLED panel should help. That's one reason I'm cautious about recommending 4K laptops -- higher-resolution screens are a battery killer. 

The XPS 13 Plus has a lot of innovative ideas -- some of which are important, while others seem like change for the sake of change. We may even disagree on which is which. If I were working on the next generation of this laptop, I'd keep the design updates but suggest sacrificing a little thickness for a bigger battery so this could be a more travel-ready companion. 

Geekbench 5 (multicore)

Acer Swift 5 (SF514-56T-797T)

Lenovo Yoga 9i (14-inch, Gen 7)

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Cinebench R23 (multicore)

Acer Swift 5 (SF514-56T-797T)

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED

Lenovo Yoga 9i (14-inch, Gen 7)

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

3DMark Wild Life Extreme

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320

Lenovo Yoga 9i (14-inch, Gen 7)

Acer Swift 5 (SF514-56T-797T)

Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

Online streaming battery drain test

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)

Lenovo Yoga 9i (14-inch, Gen 7)

Acer Swift 5 (SF514-56T-797T)

Note:

Longer bars indicate better performance

System Configurations

Dell XPS 13 Plus 9320	Windows 11 Home; 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-1280P; 16GB DDR5 6,400MHz RAM; 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics; 512GB SSD
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M2, 2022)	MacOS Monterey 12.4; Apple M2 8-core chip; 8GB RAM; Apple 10-core GPU; 256GB SSD
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED	Windows 11 Pro; 2.7 AMD Ryzen 7 6800U; 16GB DDR5 ; 6,400MHz; 512MB AMD Radeon Graphics; 1TB SSD
Acer Swift 5 (SF514-56T-797T)	Windows 11 Home; 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-1280P; 16GB DDR5 6,400MHz RAM; 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics; 512GB SSD
Lenovo Yoga 9i (14-inch, Gen 7)	Windows 11 Home; 2.1GHz Intel Core i7-1260P; 16GB DDR5 5.200GHz RAM; 128MB Intel Iris Xe Graphics; 512GB SSD

How we test computers

The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both those objective and subjective judgments. 

The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we're currently running on every compatible computer include: Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra. 

A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page. 

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Best Laptop for 2022: The 15 Laptops We Recommend

Best Laptop for 2022: The 15 Laptops We Recommend

Choosing a new laptop, whether it's for work, home or going back to school, isn't an easy decision, but CNET's list of the best laptops for 2022 is a great place to start with our top picks across brands, operating systems, budgets and categories. Many of the models from 2021 have been updated for 2022 with the latest chips from Intel and AMD, and Apple's new M2 chips, too.   

Our top laptop choice for most people is the updated Apple MacBook Air M2. It offers a great combination of everything we look for when we're testing: reliable everyday performance, long battery life and a design that works for a broad range of users. The latest MacBook Air starts at $1,199, which is why we still recommend the 2020 MacBook Air M1 as a lower-cost alternative to the newest Air model, as it's still an all-around excellent laptop. For those looking for a more value-oriented option, Acer's Swift 3 is our current recommendation. Well-configured older versions are available for under $550, while new models start under $800, and fully loaded with an OLED display it's right around $1,200.

At CNET, our laptop experts have collective decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops, covering everything from performance to price to battery life. This hand-curated list covers the best laptops across various sizes, styles and costs, including laptop computers running on Windows, MacOS and Chrome.

If you want more laptop brands and options for a particular category, we also have specialized lists you can look at, including the best gaming laptops, best 15-inch laptops, best two-in-ones and best Chromebooks, as well as the best laptops for college students, designers and the best MacBook Pro alternatives. If you need to stay as low as possible on the price of a new laptop computer, check out our best budget laptop and best budget gaming laptop picks.

This best laptop list is updated periodically with new models we've tested and reviewed. If you need advice on whether a particular type of laptop or two-in-one is right for you, jump to our laptop FAQ at the bottom of the list.

James Martin/CNET

Thanks to a new design, a larger display (13.6 inches versus the previous 13.3 inches), a faster M2 chip and a long-awaited upgrade to a higher-res webcam, the 2022 version of the MacBook Air remains our top choice for the most universally useful laptop in Apple's lineup, with one caveat. At $1,199, the $200 increase over the traditional $999 MacBook Air starting price is a disappointment. That's why you'll still find the M1 version of the Air retains a spot on our best laptop list. Still, we like everything else about it and is our first choice if you're considering an Air and don't mind spending more.

Read our Apple MacBook Air M2 review.

Josh Goldman/CNET

Available with either AMD Ryzen or Intel Core processors, this 14-inch laptop gives you more screen to work on than 13-inch laptops, but is still incredibly lightweight -- less than 3 pounds. The bigger display is nice, too, covering 100% sRGB color gamut (better than you typically find at its starting price under $700). It also has a backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader and USB Type-C and HDMI ports, too. The 2022 version of the Swift 3 falls just under $1,000 with 12th-gen Intel Core i-series CPUs. But the 2021 models are still widely available for less than $600. 

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Dell XPS 13 is a perennial favorite for its size, weight and performance and just overall good looks. In 2020, Dell made the laptop even smaller, while making the laptop screen larger and increasing performance for both CPU and graphics-intensive tasks. For 2022, it made the XPS 13 even smaller and lighter, kept its sub-$999 starting price the same and dropped in the latest 12th-gen Intel processors.

While we haven't had a chance to test the new model yet, we expect it to be a strong Windows alternative to the MacBook Air. Also, if you want to save money, the 2021 XPS 13 with 11th-gen Intel chips is available for less now.

This thin, 3-pound convertible is a solid choice for anyone who needs a laptop for office or schoolwork. The all-metal chassis gives it a premium look and feel, and it has a comfortable keyboard and a responsive, smooth precision touchpad. Though it's light on extra features compared to its premium linemate, the Yoga 9i, it does have one of Lenovo's sliding shutters for its webcam that gives you privacy when you want it. And it has a long battery life to boot at 12 hours, 45 minutes in our tests. The latest version with 12th-gen Intel processors starts at $999 (although you can find it on sale for less). The 2021 models are still available, too, at reduced prices.  

Josh Goldman/CNET

Acer's Spin 513 is an update of sorts to one of the best Chromebooks from 2021, the Spin 713. It's a two-in-one convertible Chromebook with a 13.5-inch display that has a 3:2 aspect ratio. The extra vertical space means less scrolling when you're working. The screen size is also close to that of letter-size paper, making it comfortable for notetaking in tablet mode with a USI pen. Compared to the 713, it drops a couple of noncritical features like an HDMI output in favor of a more affordable price. It has amazing battery life, though, and a sturdy fanless design, making it silent -- perfect for quiet classrooms, meetings, lectures or video calls.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

Lenovo launched the Yoga line 10 years ago with Windows 8 and now, with Windows 11, the flexibility of the design has only gotten better. The company's flagship 14-inch Yoga 9i Gen 7 has an updated look with comfortable, rounded edges and 12th-gen Intel processors that give it a big multicore performance jump. A beautiful OLED display and improved audio make it excellent for work, video conferences and entertainment. Lenovo includes an active pen and a laptop sleeve to complete the premium package. 

The powerful speakers do add some vibration to the palm rests when turned up and Lenovo has cluttered the laptop with pitches for optional services and software. But, overall, the latest Yoga 9i is the two-in-one convertible laptop to beat. Unfortunately, its availability is limited at the moment so you might have to wait to buy one.

Read our Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7 review.

Dan Ackerman/CNET

New Apple silicon, new display, new design and all the ports we've been asking for: The latest 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro is the best Pro ever. The combination of the larger MacBook Pro's hardware and MacOS extracts the maximum performance from the components while delivering excellent battery life. The new mini-LED high-resolution display is gorgeous. And if an HDMI output and SD card reader were on your shortlist for features, you'll find those here too.

You pay for it, though: Base price for the 16-inch model of this premium laptop is $2,499.

Read our Apple MacBook Pro review.

Josh Goldman/CNET

There are plenty of 15.6-inch laptops, but 16-inch models like the Dell Inspiron 16 Plus are something of a rarity. The 16-inch display is a great size since the laptop is barely bigger than a 15.6-inch model, but you get more room for work and a roomier keyboard and touchpad along with it. For this Inspiron, Dell packed in performance parts including Nvidia discrete graphics (though it's nearly half the price if you go with Intel integrated graphics) and the display covers 100% sRGB and 81% AdobeRGB color gamuts, which is good enough if you're getting started with creating web content. Also, the laptop has a more premium fit and finish than we're used to seeing in the Inspiron line.

Read our Dell Inspiron 16 Plus review.

Dan Ackerman/CNET

Although this Microsoft Surface laptop is not the Surface Laptop, the Surface Pro continues to hit all the right notes if you're looking for a do-it-all Windows tablet that doubles as a Windows laptop. Microsoft recently overhauled it for the Surface Pro 8, which has a larger 13-inch display, 11th-gen Intel Core processors and two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. The Surface Pro 7 is still around for the time being at a discount, and an updated version called the Surface Pro 7 Plus will stay in the lineup, so you'll still be able to get the classic Pro design but with new processors.

Read our Surface Pro 8 review.

Sarah Tew/CNET

There's a lot to love with the Razer Blade 14, which incorporates one of the fastest mobile CPUs available (for now, at least), the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, and top-end mobile graphics with the GeForce RTX 3070 or 3080. Its display can go pixel-to-pixel with the MacBook's. And its high-quality build is up there with the best MacBooks but, like an Apple, it's not necessarily the best laptop deal, even compared to other premium laptops.

Read our Razer Blade 14 review.

HP

HP's Victus 16 is a surprisingly robust and powerful gaming laptop that keeps up with the latest games at a more affordable price. Compared to HP's high-end Omen gaming laptop line, the Victus is more of an all-purpose laptop but still configured for gaming with a price starting at less than $1,000. HP offers several configurations with graphics chip options ranging from Nvidia's entry-level GeForce GTX 1650 up to a midrange RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6500M.

Read our HP Victus 16 review.

James Martin/CNET

The XPS 17 combines the same slim, premium design of its 13-inch linemate but with increased performance possibilities. It can be configured with up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, 64GB of memory and a 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics chip. The best part: Dell trimmed up the chassis so much that you get a 17-inch display in a body that's the size of an older 15-inch laptop. You're getting a lot of power and a big screen in the smallest possible package. 

Dell XPS 17 review.

Laptop FAQs

How much does a good laptop cost?

Setting a budget is a good place to start when shopping for the best laptop for yourself. The good news is you can get a nice-looking, lightweight laptop with excellent battery life at prices under $500. If you're shopping for a laptop around $500 or less, check out our top picks here, as well as more specific buying advice for that price range.

Higher-end components like Intel Core i-series and AMD Ryzen processors and premium design touches like thin-display bezels and aluminum or magnesium bodies have made their way to laptops priced between $500 and $1,000. You can also find touchscreens and two-in-one designs that can be used as a tablet or a laptop -- and a couple other positions in between. In this price range, you'll also find faster memory and ssd storage -- and more of it -- to improve performance. 

Above $1,000 is where you'll find premium laptops and two-in-ones. If you're looking for the fastest performance, the best battery life, the slimmest, lightest designs and top-notch display quality with an adequate screen size, expect to spend at least $1,000. 

Which is better, MacOS or Windows?

Deciding between MacOS and Windows laptop for many people will come down to personal preference and budget. Apple's base model laptop, the M1 MacBook Air, starts at $999. You can sometimes find it discounted or you can get educational pricing from Apple and other retailers. But, in general, it'll be at least $1,000 for a new MacBook, and the prices just go up from there. 

For the money, though, you're getting great hardware top to bottom, inside and out. Apple recently moved to using its own processors, which resulted in across-the-board performance improvements compared to older Intel-based models. But, the company's most powerful laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, still hasn't been updated to Apple silicon. 

But, again, that great hardware comes at a price. Also, you're limited to just Apple laptops. With Windows and Chromebooks (more on these below), you get an amazing variety of devices at a wide range of prices. 

Software between the two is plentiful, so unless you need to run something that's only available on one platform or the other, you should be fine to go with either. Gaming is definitely an advantage for a Windows laptop, though.

MacOS is also considered to be easier and safer to use than Windows, especially for people who want their computers to get out of the way so they can get things done. Over the years, though, Microsoft has done its best to follow suit and, with Windows 11 here, it's trying to remove any barriers. Also, while Macs might have a reputation for being safer, with the popularity of the iPhone and iPad helping to drive Mac sales, they've become bigger targets for malware.

Are Chromebooks worth it?

Yes, they are, but they're not for everyone. Google's Chrome OS has come a long way in the past 10 years and Chromebooks -- laptops that run on Chrome OS -- are great for people who do most of their work in a web browser or using mobile apps. They are secure, simple and, more often than not, a bargain. What they can't do is natively run Windows or Mac software. 

What's the best laptop for home, travel or both?

The pandemic changed how and where a lot of people work. The small, ultraportable laptops valued by people who regularly traveled may have suddenly become woefully inadequate for working from home. Or maybe instead of needing long battery life, you'd rather have a bigger display with more graphics power for gaming.

If you're going to be working on a laptop and don't need more mobility than moving it from room to room, consider a 15.6-inch laptop or larger. In general, a bigger screen makes life easier for work and is more enjoyable for entertainment, and also is better if you're using it as an extended display with an external monitor. It typically means you're getting more ports, too, so connecting an external display or storage or a keyboard and mouse are easier without requiring a hub or dock. 

For travel, stay with 13- or 14-inch laptops or two-in-ones. They'll be the lightest and smallest while still delivering excellent battery life. What's nice is that PC-makers are moving away from 16:9 widescreens toward 16:10- or 3:2-ratio displays, which gives you more vertical screen space for work without significantly increasing the footprint. These models usually don't have discrete graphics or powerful processors, though that's not always the case.

Which laptop is best for gaming or creating?

You can play games and create content on any laptop. That said, what games you play and what content you create -- and the speed at which you do them -- is going vary greatly depending on the components inside the laptop. 

For casual browser-based games or using streaming-game services like Google Stadia, Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, you don't need a powerful gaming laptop. And similarly, if you're just trimming video clips, cropping photos or live-streaming video from your webcam, you can get by with a modestly priced laptop or Chromebook with integrated graphics. 

For anything more demanding, you'll need to invest more money for discrete graphics like Nvidia's RTX 30-series GPUs. Increased system memory of 16GB or more, having a speedy SSD for storage and a faster processor such as an Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 will all help you get things moving faster, too. 

The other piece you'll want to consider is the display. For gaming, look for screens with a high refresh rate of 120Hz or faster so games look smoother while playing. For content creation, look for displays that cover 100% sRGB color space. 

How we test computers

The review process for laptops, desktops, tablets and other computer-like devices consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our expert reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features. A final review verdict is a combination of both those objective and subjective judgments. 

The list of benchmarking software we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. The most important core tests we're currently running on every compatible computer include: Primate Labs Geekbench 5, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10 and 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra. 

A more detailed description of each benchmark and how we use it can be found in our How We Test Computers page. 

More for people who spend all day on their computers

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Source

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